Visitors will discover the ancient art of falconry, one of the oldest partnerships between human and animal.

Objects of their admiration during this year’s An Evening with Raptors event—and explore a collaboration between humans and animals first forged thousands of years ago.

The annual An Evening with Raptors hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center will be held from 7-9 p.m.  The event is free and is open to all ages. 

Falconry is the ultimate partnership between human and bird.  The sport goes back thousands of years, and you can learn about it at An Evening with Raptors event. “Several area falconers will gather to offer the rare chance to observe and learn about these fascinating feathered hunters,” said MDC Assistant Nature Center Manager, Robyn Parker. “They will also explain how viewers can get started in this age-old sport themselves,” she added.

Falconry is the art of training raptors—birds of prey like hawks and falcons—to capture wild game, so that bird and trainer essentially become hunting partners. The use of falconry can be traced back to 700 B.C.E., and by some accounts, even farther back in time. 

The falconers at the event will display their falconry tools, hoods, and other equipment, as well as live birds – the same birds that they use in their sport. Participants will also have the chance to ask the falconry team questions as they get a close-up view of the raptors in the classrooms. 

When: Friday, January 27, 2023 from 7-9 p.m.

An Evening with Raptors is free event, but advanced registration is required for each person attending. To sign up, participants should go to https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4xC.

Where: Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center is located at 11715 Cragwold Road in Kirkwood, near the intersection of I-44 and I-270.

Sign up for email or text alerts to stay informed of MDC’s latest programs and events by going to  https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZoP.